The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-04-09

colonies. Free traders deny the policy Of
protecting Michigan and Ne. York against
the section Of Ontario which lies between
them, and say that if it is good for both
states to have the unrestricted trade Of Ohio,
ii is equally good to have the trade 0! Can
ada on the same terms. But" says the
protectionist, "the Ohio man is your coun
tryman and the other is not" Perhaps so;
but hold that fair trade between nation and
nation tends to the prosperity of both. As
to the protected laborers being my coun.
tryman, they are my countryman principal
ly because of the protected capitalists who
import them on the ground that when they
are employed in manufacturing for us in
in their own country, they are harm, but
become a benefit as soon as imported, If
they work for us abroad and produce an
article for one. half what it costs here, they
harm our industries if we import them and
| then pay double for what they make, they
help us.
Mr. James is grateful for the fact that
furnished him-.that we export farm machin.
cry. lie is cordially welcome TO all that he
can make of it, lie cites it as one of the
blessings of protection Protection secured
to our manufacturers good home market
for their machinery encouraged competi
ton and reduced prices to the farmer. But
it has also secured Il quote his own figures
to the manufacturer profit Of % per cent.
on his invested capital. The average of
the laborers employed for making farm ma,
chinery gets $3.50 per year. Reckoning 300
working days to the year, tins is about Sl.27
per day. The average protected laborer gets
about Id per day.
Remember that iron pays about 40 per
duty. Consequently every man who uses
iron must pay tina, amount Of extra cost In
plow, or mower, or reaper, or thresher,
all this cost is loaded on the consumer. All
this extra cost STANDS in the way of foreign
shipments our manufacturers can make
more machinery than we can use, though
We should use more of ii were il cheaper.
But the English and Germans can make our
machinery, and the difference of from s. to
SD per machine on raw material means that
the one who gets his material cheaper, will
in time, drive out the other. II does not
make II much better for the huye feelings
to be told as protectionists persist in telling
him, "Nou can buy cheaper than you could
twenty years ago If men are called upon
to pay 40 per cent. more than the article is
worth, they have still right 20 complain
If they are compelled by law to pay for an
article, and to pay 10 per cent to help some,
body else make - or 100 per cent. on his
capital, they have rioht to be dissatisfied
But" says someone, business is free;
if any man wants to 90 into these protected
industries and make money, he has the
chance. Let any man try to go into some
branches of the iron BUSINESS and see what
his chances are. Let him try oil refining
and see how soon the Standard Oil Company
will run him out. Let him try to make
glass AMI see how soon combination of cap
italsts on one side and highly paid monopo
list workman on the other, will make it hot
ter for him than the neig hborbood Of his own
furnace. When an industry like the iron
trade can make a round 100 per cent. off its
invested capital in single year, it can afford
to crush any new competitor If it can make
is barely possible that without the 40 per
cent it could manage to survive and make as
good percentages AS the average farmer
makes off hi land
Free traders most firmly disbelieve in the
pbilanthropic regard of capitalists for their
laborers. They believe that they are GER !
tainly no more likely to work for the interest
of labor than for themselves They do not
believe that free trade will ruin the indus
tries of the country. The "cry baby indus
tries that are calling for protection are old
enough to 60 alone, or to step out.
In closing these article. may say that if
the protected industries we're not so clamor-
Gus, INSCRIPTIONS and thoroughly unreason.
able, they would have more friends. They
stand by EACH other to oppose all change and
al reform. Republican and democratic con.
yentlons call for reform, but the protection
sts are strong enough and selfish enough to
prevent it. The last Rhode Island Republi
AN Convention calls AZ loudly as any party
will call for thorough revision, But in the
ate House with a working democratic ma
GRITTY, pledged to reform, nothing has been
lone, and in view Of their adjournment with
'ut action, the indignation of all honest men
s deepened in regard to those who repudi-
.te both parties obligations and the higher
,laims of national interest II. L. b.
The New Board.
The elections on Tuesday have made a {
,umber of changes in the list of menbers